The Pharaoh, The Girl, And the Stars (Ahk x OFC)
by DazzlingCorpses
Summary: Carly Bell, an aspiring astronomer, knows the secrets of the Museum of Natural History. After over a year-long absence, Carly returns to the museum on the night of its grand re-opening with her uncle, Larry Daley. With her arrival, however, comes her re-connection with a certain Pharaoh who she began growing close to as a young girl. Uncertain, Carly hopes to see the stars align.
1. Chapter 1

My uncle is guiding the three of us through the flowing sidewalks and streets of Manhattan. Buildings of enormous height lean in and out of my vision as I slip through any cracks I can find in this sea of bustling strangers. I do my best to keep my face  
tucked away in my black coat collar in an effort to avoid the city's sharp chill. A large shopping bag with my dress for the night hangs stiffly from my clenched fist, brushing against unknown thighs, calves, and hips. Somehow, through all of this, I  
manage to keep up with Nicky, who follows his father, my uncle. 

"It's right up here, guys," my Uncle Larry says, ducking his head back quickly in our direction before facing forward again. His disheveled, black hair flaps in the biting wind, and his eyes are only slits trying to hide from its sting.

I catch up to my cousin's side and flash him a humorously aggravated glance. He returns it. I notice that his freckles, which normally enlighten his other features, are almost impossible to be seen now. The New York cold has truly taken effect, with the  
disappearance of Nicky's freckles being the most obvious piece of evidence. Still, we brave it every year anyway. I've never felt the need to complain though; doing things like this with my Uncle and cousin are what make a trek through the weather  
worth it.

"When was the last time you were at the museum?" Nicky's voice barely peeks through the city noise. I think for a moment, trying to remember the last time I went with them to witness the museum at its greatest.

"I'd say it's been...a year and a half, maybe." I say.

"It's really been that long?" he says with a hint of reflection in his tone.

"I think so. I remember writing college applications around that time." I say.

"Yeah, yeah, right." he says, looking forward again.

I can tell he's remembering a time before he had to think about going to college and making a life for himself. He was a junior in high school. I was a senior. He's going through what I went through, but at least I knew I wanted to go into astronomy,  
something my parents were thrilled with. Although, my parents would support virtually anything I wanted to do. I could tell them I wanted to become a professional cliff diver, and they'd probably get everyone they know to come see me jump. Nicky's  
situation, however, is different. He's expressed an interest in becoming a DJ for clubs around the world, and his mom and dad, though they're divorced, both agree that it can't be what he's going to do for a living. The museum seems to be the glue  
keeping Nicky and his father on decent terms. They love each other, they'd be nothing without each other; it's just hard when one is aspiring to be a DJ and the other is a night guard at the Museum of Natural History.

Finally, we're making our way up the stairs to the front doors of the museum. When we reach the top, my uncle opens a door and beckons us inside. It is then that I feel the burning contrast between my freezing skin and the welcoming warmth of the building.  
Nicky and I both let out sighs of relief as we start to strip ourselves of our coats and gloves. My uncle quickly pulls the door shut and does the same, stomping his shoes on the floor to shake away the snow. The event doesn't start until 9:00 PM,  
but we're here two hours early to make sure everything stays in place.

Actually, I suppose we're doing the opposite.

The Museum of Natural History, as traditional as it may seem, houses a magical tablet, called the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, that brings every exhibit to life at night. We found out about it years ago when my uncle took the job as the night guard. He would  
often bring Nicky and I to work with him during the night to experience it ourselves. It's lead me to believe that there's more magic in our universe than we're being shown. After all, I didn't want to not believe my own family member when he explained  
what was going on. I can't corner people out like that, so I, Carly Bell, let myself have a little fun and pretended to believe in all the magic.

That is, until I saw everything return to its place and freeze. All the living, moving, breathing wax figures, statues, skeletons, mummies, and neanderthals went back to their original positions and became as still as a forest. It was as if they'd never  
been up and walking around in the first place. It was then that I knew it couldn't be a hoax. It was all so real and true. I took the leash off of my imagination and allowed it to breathe the fresh air of a new chapter.

Following that, I believed I would become nocturnal just so I could go to the museum every night for the rest of my life.

Obviously, that didn't happen, as it has been over a year since my last visit. I feel like a bad parent who can never make it to their kid's soccer games. I've neglected something that once brought me so much joy. Still, I try to convince myself that  
my absence doesn't matter now that I'm here again.

"Okay, guys!" my uncle's anxious tone snaps me out of my guilt. I see him fiddling with his hands, a nervous habit he seems to do often. He just wants this event to go well, and I want the same for him. The least I can do is give him my attention. "Things  
should start coming to life in about an hour. I need you two to start setting up the tables and chairs. The catering company will take care of all the food once we give them a place to put it, but we've got to move quickly."

Nicky and I don't hesitate. We find at least 20 circular tables clumped together in a corner of the entry and start pushing them into different places around the room. His dad brings the caterers in with platters and platters of delicious looking foods.  
When all of this is done, he awkwardly instructs them to wait outside until the public is allowed in, all in an effort to keep them from seeing the magic before the event begins.

It's amazing how fast an hour passes. By the time we finish setting up furniture and decorations, I hear an earth-stopping, shimmering noise that I haven't heard in a very long time.

The sound rings, twirls, and echoes through the halls and staircases. I glance at Nicky, trying to read his face. From what I see, it doesn't say much. He's more focused on the sleeves of his shirt than what's happening around us. He's probably used to  
it, the museum coming to life. He's seen it many more times than I have, but even if I'd witnessed it a thousand times before, I don't think the magic would ever cease to amaze me.

"Get ready!" my uncle says with urgency in his tone. I don't know who his alert is for though. It could be any of us. For me, telling me to stay calm and brace myself. For Nicky, to maintain his focus. For Uncle Larry, to remember that what happens now  
is what happens every night, that the people who will be watching will make no difference.

Suddenly, the sounds of cheering, elephants, lions, and other things I can't distinguish are resounding around the building. Wax statues stretch to life right before my eyes, exotic animals prance in with ease. It surrounds me, and I'm brought back in  
time.

"Lawrence!" a jolly voice startles me, even though it's directed at my uncle. I recognize the man on his horse as none other than Theodore Roosevelt. Hesitantly, I retreat to where he approaches Uncle Larry, smoothing out my blue tank top and red plaid  
shirt. "Good to see you again, lad!" Teddy says.

"You too, Teddy," my uncle starts, his hands finally resting at his sides. "You remember my niece, right? It's been awhile." Now, I stride over once I've been introduced. I can't just walk up to Theodore Roosevelt and act like it's nothing.

"Ah, I remember this one," Roosevelt says, holding out his hand as he stays mounted on the live horse. "Carly, isn't it?" He looks me right in the eyes, and I take his hand, reminding myself to shake it with firm confidence. I can feel my fair skin blushing,  
and I hope he doesn't notice.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, please. Call me Teddy!"

My eyes flash towards Uncle Larry, who seems to be beaming with pride. Or maybe it's just Teddy's delighted energy that keeps him from going mad with anxiety.

"Goodness, I think the last time I saw you, you were looking at colleges," Teddy says. "Tell me, how is that going?"

"I'm at Williams College in Massachusetts. I'm majoring in astronomy," I tell him.

"That's wonderful!" he says. "Well, I wish you the best of luck. Lawrence, you too," he says, and rides off into another room. My uncle smirks, knowing he needs all the luck he can get.

"So, I guess you should probably-" Uncle Larry starts.

"Larry!"

This voice strikes me and makes my blood turn to molasses. It's a voice with a regal English accent and a groggy, cryptic, low tone. I turn to see his tall, lean figure coming in our direction. His olive skin seems to glow against his exotic, large, blue  
eyes. And of course, the shimmering gold and blue attire he wears along with a cylindrical, gold crown would suggest his position as the young Pharaoh he is. Or was.

Ahkmenrah.

As his name implies, he is the one whom the magical tablet was created for. Being a mummy exhumed from the dead, he never appears to age a day, maintaining a look of late teens to mid twenties.

Still, he isn't just a Pharaoh to me; he never was, even when I was young. He is the thought that would trace through my mind when I least expected it; the force that pushed me to believe the impossible; the eyes of the universe that held truth I could  
never see myself but only dream of.

And, honestly, just a really nice guy.

"Hey, Ahkmenrah," my uncle says as he approaches us.

"Is everything ready for tonight?" the boy says, hardly acknowledging me.

"Yeah, just about. I think it'll be great," he says with finality to his tone. I notice that the Pharaoh and I are exchanging awkward, fleeting glances. So does my uncle. "Ahk, do you remember Carly, my niece?"

"Yes, it's been quite a long time, but…" he says, scanning me over.. "...how could I forget her?"

 _Dammit, stop blushing._

"I remember when you were no more than this tall!" he motions to the area around my waist with a teasing smile.

It's true. I met Ahkmenrah the first time I came to work with my uncle. I was nine years old, Nicky was eight. I remember when Uncle Larry went off to check on an exhibit deeper in the museum, and Nicky was off playing with an ostrich, and I was left  
alone near the front. That is, until Ahkmenrah found me, took pity on my lonesome, and offered to show me around. The feeling of my little hand being sheltered inside his larger one is something I've never been able to shake. Every time after that,  
even as a young girl, my heart would skip a beat whenever he entered the room. His mysterious yet gentle air was captivating, and I could never tear myself away from it. At least, I didn't want to.

Seeing him now, it's obvious that my feverish crush on him hasn't changed a bit.

"Yeah...I've uh, I've grown," I squeak with a chuckle.

Seconds pass. My uncle's eyes dart between Ahkmenrah and myself, until the Pharaoh finally breaks the silence.

"You'll be here for the presentation tonight?" he says quickly.

"Of course!" I say. "I'm making my valiant return, so...go, me!"

 _No, no, no, no, no, stop talking._

Despite the utter stupidity of my remark, he looks down and laughs.

 _Okay, not horrible._

Again, there are seconds of quiet that even Ahkmenrah doesn't know how to remedy this time.

"Carly, you should probably start to get dressed, and...um…" my uncle says.

"Yeah...that's uh...yeah, I'm going to go do that now," I say, starting to stumble off away from them.

"Restrooms are over there!"

"Got it, thanks!"

I finally break into a normal, purposeful walk towards the women's restroom to change into my dress, fix my hair, and do my makeup. Even with all of this in mind, I find the ability to look back behind me, hoping to see the Pharaoh's eyes staring in my  
direction.

When I find him, his eyes are on my uncle, paying attention to whatever words are coming from his mouth. I look back a second time to see them heading in the direction of the Egypt exhibit. My heart sinks. Whether it is out of satisfaction or longing  
I can't tell.

But even though the boy is gone, I swear, I can feel his eyes all around me.


	2. Chapter 2

The soft hairs of my makeup brush glaze over my skin with a thin layer of powder. I push my freshly-curled, red hair out of the way as I dab the outer area of my forehead. Moving onto my eyes, I begin with a gray eyeshadow and line the rims with a black pencil. With a little glitter shadow, I pat my eyelids until a subtle, silver sheen rests on them. They have transformed into two shimmering galaxies.

As I'm about to reach for my mascara, the door opens.

"You wouldn't believe what's happening out there," Sacagawea's earthy, calm voice sighs. "Oh! Carly! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it was you."

"That's okay!" I say. "How have you been? How are things going...out there?"

"I'm very well, thank you. However, I'm afraid that since everyone woke up this evening, Rexy decided to take a nap. Now, he has too much energy to sit still." she laments.

"That's not good," I say as my eyes drift downward. "I can't help but feel that my uncle is extra bothered tonight. That's the last thing he needs."

"I noticed that," she says, starting over to the sinks and smoothing out the two black braids that drape down her shoulders. "Not to mention, Jedediah and Octavius have just been playing on the computer the whole time. I don't understand what they find so funny about cats chasing lights."

"Coming from them, I'm not surprised." I say with a smirk.

She leans over one of the sinks and begins to splash water on her face. Surprisingly, it catches me off guard. I never imagined a woman made of wax would use this as a way to relieve stress, but I force myself not to stare and go back to finishing off my mascara and lip gloss.

She stands up straight again after moments of examining her face for any stray imperfections. I do the same, turning to the full-body mirror at one end of the restroom. My long, strapless, ice blue gown sways at my feet with every move I make.

"You look very beautiful, by the way." Sacagawea says. I look back at her.

"Thank you. You always look beautiful. Teddy's a lucky man," I say in reference to her relationship with Roosevelt. She chuckles and looks at the floor, blushing.

"Actually," she starts. "How long has it been since you came here?"

"Over a year."

"I guess that would explain it."

"Explain what?"

"Oh, well...you know Ahkmenrah, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, I've noticed that since you stopped coming to the museum, he's inquired about you."

It takes me a moment to comprehend what she has just said.

"You mean...he's asked about _me_?" I say.

"Yes. He seems to have a great concern for you," she says. "I have a bad habit of eavesdropping. I've heard him talking to Larry on several occasions, asking about where you'd been, why you stopped coming to the museum."

"And he doesn't do that for anyone else?" I ask.

"I do a lot of listening," she says. "Your name is the only one I've heard."

My eyes drift off to the side, pondering what this could mean.

"Are you alright?" Sacagawea asks, snapping me out of my daze.

"Um, yeah," I say quietly. "It's just interesting is all."

"It is," she says. "I think they're letting people in. We should probably go. If you're done getting ready, of course."

"Good timing, I just finished up." I say, gathering my things and packing them back in the shopping bag.

Together, we exit the restroom. All I'm left to overthink about now is every possible reason Ahkmenrah would be asking my uncle about me. And anyway, we still have time before the exhibit presentation starts.

It's sure to keep me busy.


	3. Chapter 3

Men and women wearing slick tuxedos and glistening gowns swirl into the event room. None bother to find their name cards yet. They instead stand chattering in jolly voices while holding obscure drinks and small refreshments.. They all take up so much space, it's hard to find any breathing room. That's when I see Nicky standing at a table across the room getting a refill on his water. I have to slither through slits in between bodies just to reach him.

"Are you bored?" I ask, surprising him.

"Oh...you know, just getting ready."

"Staying hydrated, I see."

"Yup. Gotta do it."

When the drink server turns around to give Nicky his glass, I request a Shirley Temple. While his back is to us, I hush my voice to a whisper, just loud enough to be heard over the rumbling of the guests.

"Do you think everything's going to go okay?" I ask. It takes him a moment to respond.

"Sure it is," he says. "Don't you think so?"

"Yeah! I do," I respond. "Your dad seemed stressed earlier. I just really, really want this to work out."

"I wouldn't worry about him. He always gets jittery with big events like this. I saw them rehearse it once, and what I saw actually looked pretty amazing," Nicky says. "I think you'll really like the constellations."

"I don't doubt that. I'm sure they'll be the stars of the show." I smile at my own bad pun

"Noooooo!" Nicky laughs sarcastically..

He's not kidding. Among the numerous things that come to life in the museum, the famous constellations are included. They're going to be apart of tonight's presentation. Nicky's been giving me teasers about what they look like and how pretty they are. As an astronomer-to-be, I know the history behind them, and I appreciate how incredible they are.

The server spins to face us again, this time with my Shirley Temple. I thank him, and press the glass to my lips.

Instead of appearing sophisticated and chic, the sharp, tangy fizziness of the cherry-flavored drink sends a shock down my throat. I have to force myself to swallow and end up making a series of silly faces in the process. Nicky just laughs as I act like a four year-old in front of all these distinguished event-goers. I'm laughing by the end of it too.

I'm about to take another drink when someone on the other side of the room makes me pause.

Ahkmenrah. His eyes observe me effortlessly. He stands noble and proud, not a bit of uncertainty in him. My heart begins to bounce like a jumping bean in my chest..

"You know, I think there are some stars that they aren't using somewhere around here," Nicky brings me out of my lovesick daze. "If you wanted to, you could probably go find them. See them by yourself for a little bit."

While I'd love to stay and flirt with the Pharaoh, my thirst for outer space is crying out.

"Really? Can you tell me where they are?"

"Pretty sure they're in Africa."

"I don't think I can make it there and back in time."

"You know what I mean!"

"Yes, I do! Thank you, Nicky."

I start off towards the African exhibit which is probably devoid of any animals as of now. The dazzling strings that play in the main room begin to fade as I get further away. The ever-growing silence opens a gate in my mind.

I can finally herd my thoughts together without any distractions. Hopefully under the stars.

* * *

They're so close. I can almost touch them.

The little white orbs of light that float just below the ceiling emit a hazy blue glow, and it illuminates the entire vicinity of the African exhibit. I sit on the floor, using my arms to prop me up. My head tilts to the side, my eyes continue to find even the smallest details that are written in this little piece of the universe. I stare, simply fascinated.

Right here, everything is as it should be.

"Decided to escape from the crowd for awhile?"

Instinctively, my head turns to see who this voice belongs to, though I'm certain I already know.

Though it seems impossible, I take a deep breath as Ahkmenrah approaches me. I do my best to act casual and burry my excitement.

"Hey," I say, turning my eyes up to him with intent. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you leave. I thought I'd come see if you were alright." he says looking downward. Whatever fearless man he was in the main room is gone now. The one who remains looks humble and almost nervous.

"Thank you. I'm fine though. My cousin told me that there were some stars I could see, and I just wanted to find them." I say.

"I see. They are very beautiful," he says as he looks up at them. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

 _Don't explode. Whatever you do, just don't explode._

"Of course."

"Thank you."

He sits on the floor next to me with caution. His long, gold cape billows along the floor. We both stay silent for a long time. If I'm supposed to say something, I have no clue what that something should be.

"What made you want to find the stars?" he asks suddenly.

"Well...I'm studying astronomy, so I'm kind of obsessed with space," I start. "And I guess...I guess everything in space is right where it should be. It's just so calming to know that even though things can be really hectic here, you can look up at the sky and see a world where everything is in its place. Sure, there's movement, but it's all so natural."

I never expected it would be so easy for me to talk to him. What surprises me even more is what I say next.

"And movement on the earth isn't natural?" Ahkmenrah presses.

"Movement is natural. When movement turns into chaos, it doesn't feel the same," I say. "I think _we're_ the ones who create chaos. Nature just melts it away."

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him turn to look at me. I do the same with my most innocent smile. The blue radiating from the stars gives his skin a futuristic glow, an odd contrast from his warmer Egyptian complexion.

"Your words are very intelligent for someone so young," he says, not once breaking contact with me.

"Thank you," I say. "I think the same of you. You know so much about so many things. It's incredible."

"I've been around for 4,000 years. It's given me plenty of time to learn," he says grinning. I smile.

"So, do you have some kind of nickname I can call you?" I say. "I mean, Ahkmenrah's great, but it's kind of long. Unless you just want me to call you Pharaoh. That's fine too."

He chuckles. "No, no, Pharaoh isn't necessary. If you'd like, you can call me Ahk."

"Ahk," I say, letting the freshness of the title breeze through my teeth.

"And shall I call you Carly? Or is there another name you wish to go by?" he asks.

"I like Carly. It sounds nice with your accent," I say. We both share a laugh.

The quiet returns again. I dig through my mind, trying to find a way to continue the conversation. I come up completely dry.

"You know, they have wonderful music playing in there," he says. "Would you like to dance?"

My heart drops so heavily, I almost think I hear it thud.

"Yes, Ahk," I say. "I'd like that."

As I'm about to get up, he holds out his hand. I take it with vigilance and allow him to pull me up.

And as we exit the African exhibit together, we don't let go.


End file.
